The renewal is the continuation of a levy first passed in 2005. It was most recently approved by voters in November 2014.
City officials have stressed that the levy renewal will not increase taxes and that the dollars generated from the levy are crucial to the city’s financial wellbeing.
The tax applies to wages, salaries, self-employment income, rental income, and gambling winnings, but it does not apply to Social Security, pensions, or unemployment benefits.
Additionally, residents who work in cities with a local income tax of 2.25% or higher, such as Dayton and Kettering, receive a full credit and do not owe additional city tax.
Mayor Jeff Gore took to social media this month to share more about the ballot issue’s significance.
“The levy in May, if passed, will provide $3 million of funding for police and fire,” he wrote in a post to his mayoral Facebook page.
Gore said the levy is “one piece of the puzzle” that maintains the city’s safety services.
“... (T)he general fund will already be subsidizing the police and fire departments in 2025 by a total of $7.13 million,” he said. “... If (the levy) doesn’t pass, that’s an additional $3 million that will need to come out of the general fund.”
The majority of the revenue generated from the renewal, if approved, will continue to be divided between the police and fire/EMS divisions, with 40.5% going toward police and 40.5% to fire services.
The remaining 19% will go into the city’s general fund.
If the renewal is not approved, city officials warn, funds from other areas, like parks and recreation, may need to be diverted to the safety services divisions.
“There are many working pieces to the overall financial health and position for the city and although this levy is a piece of that financial stability, it is an extremely important piece,” he wrote. “It guarantees we can maintain our levels of service as we continue to hire more officers and firefighter paramedics, along with maintaining the great parks system we have that we’ve been greatly improving for the last eight years.”
Some residents who themselves feel strained financially, urge officials to tighten the city’s purse strings.
Resident Teri Lussier said prioritizing city amenities may not be in the best interest of all Huber Heights residents when compared to what they cost.
“I think we will be fine if (this levy) didn’t pass and council had to prioritize in line with citizens,” she said. “... I have faith in their ability to embrace new ideas.”
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